Friday, January 7, 2011

"Nightsisters" Review

Here is my initial review of the Clone Wars episode "Nightsisters" upon seeing it for the first time.

All Clone Wars episodes should be like this! There were heroes, villains, and shades of grey. There were action packed battles and fight sequences, as well as well timed dialog and plot exposition. However I am not saying this is the best episode of the Clone Wars this far. And I believe that the episodes in the Savage ARC will have to be viewed together and not separately to portray their true strength. Even though I was not disappointed by this episode, it left me feeling a little empty. I wish that Cartoon Network had chosen to air at least a few of the Savage episodes together to provide a more cohesive and in-depth story. I was expecting to see Opress sooner, and I was slightly annoyed that after all the hype, he did not show up at all in this episode.

Aside from this minor issue, I found the episode within itself to be solid. It was definitely on par with some of the best episodes of this season. The character exposition of Ventress was phenomenal for this series. The initial sequence in space reminded me of the microseries. I wish this sequence was a little longer, but I understand the time constraints that come with the 22 minute limit. In fact, I believe this episode was very ambitious considering this fact. It is amazing how much we actually saw in 22 minutes, an epic dogfight is space, an equally entertaining lightsaber duel in the ship's hanger, the intriguing environment of Dathomir, and the imposing palace that was home to the mysterious Count Dooku which was a fantastic stage, internally and externally, for the well choreographed duel that ensued.

Even though most eager Star Wars fans have gleaned significant information about the plot of these episodes during the last half of 2010, I would like to touch on the storyline for a moment. In my opinion the idea that members of the Sith would fight against each-other for power and vengeance is a much appreciated addition to the complex Clone Wars plot. The Star Wars EU is filled with compelling stories of this nature and the departure of the monotonous Republic vs Separatists storyline by the Clone Was series is a much needed breath of fresh air.

I laud the ambition and innovation of "Nightsisters". I cannot wait to see all of the newly introduced locals in high definition when the box set is released this fall. But most of all this episode left me with the same feeling that I took into it, the feeling of anticipation. The nightsisters were intriguing, but it is the imposing monolith of Savage Opress that beckons my imagination. And from what I have heard from those fortunate enough to see this arc in it's entirety, I believe my anticipation is duly felt.